Sometimes Goodbye Is a Second Chance
by cosmiclovex3
Summary: Pete and Myka attempt to balance their personal and work lives, all while making sure their co-workers don't become suspicious of their escalated relationship. Takes place during S3. AU


**A/N: Hello everyone =] I'm new over here in the Warehouse 13 universe (even though I've been writing fan fiction for Bones for over a year) so I'm really excited to be posting my first fic over here. I'm not really sure what you guys like or are expecting, but if you could not be _too_ harsh, that would be great. I'd appreciate reviews too, so I can know how I'm doing, because I'm actually really nervous about posting this. **

**So this one is going to take place over the course of Season 3 (each chapter taking place either before, during, or after an episode). And, by the way, the title of this story comes from the song 'Second Chance' by Shinedown.**

**Disclaimer: I _don't_ own Warehouse 13 or anything from it. This is simply for entertainment purposes. =]  
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"The New Guy"

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><p>Myka Bering had just finished moving back into the B&amp;B, and breathed a sigh of relief when she looked around the room and saw that everything was now unpacked and back to looking the way it was before she left. Taking a last glance around the room, she left, closing the door behind her, and walking the short distance to her partner's room, knocking softly on the door, but opening it before she received the okay to come in.<p>

She found him laying on his bed, still in his t-shirt and jeans from the day, reading a book. Pete Lattimer was actually _reading_ a book.

"Well," her voice had a hint of playfulness behind it, "I never thought I'd see the day."

"Yeah, well...you know. I'm a constant surprise," he said flatly.

Myka's expression twisted up a bit, unsure of whether he was joking or not, since his words sounded playful, but his tone told a completely different story.

"So what made you decide to actually pick up a book?" She asked, looking awkwardly around the room for a few seconds before she took a seat on the edge of his bed.

"You said you didn't want to help with artifact stuff anymore," he said simply, never looking up from the pages of his book, even though he had been reading the same sentence over and over since she walked in, unable to concentrate at that moment, "I figured I should touch up on my book knowledge so I wouldn't have to bother you."

"Well I'm back now," she reminded him, "so you no longer have to torture yourself."

"Considering you just pop in and out whenever it's convenient for you, I think I'll just finish it. This way next time you just take off, I'll be able to work without your help."

"I'm back for good," she was surprised that he thought it was possible that she would be leaving again, "this is where I want to be. Right here in Univille, South Dakota."

"For now."

Myka let out a long sigh, looking down at the comforter underneath her.

"Listen...Pete. I think you took what I said the wrong way. The fact that I didn't want to help you track down this artifact at first had nothing to do with you."

"Well it seemed that way, Mykes," he told her, marking his page before he closed the book and set it down next to him, so he could look at her while he spoke, propping himself up on his elbow, "I get it that you were upset...but you just left me here. You just got up and left, and all you left behind was some stupid letter. You never even came and said goodbye in person. I thought I meant enough to you to get an actual goodbye," he paused, sighing and shaking his head, "you know, I came after you. I wanted to stop you, convince you not to go, but by the time I got outside, you were already driving away. It was like one second you were here, and the next you weren't...and then they try to stick me with a new partner right away. Don't get me wrong, Jinks is a good guy...but it was like they were trying to convince me to forget about you."

"They tried to get me back, Pete. _I_ was the one who said no," she reminded him, "they didn't want you to forget about me. They just wanted you to move on and be able to work without me."

"I didn't _want_ to work without you," he muttered, picking his book back up, opening it, and attempting to pick up where he left off, "apparently they didn't get that."

"Pete," she sighed, growing slightly frustrated when she didn't receive an answer. She grabbed his book and pulled it out of his hands, "Pete, would you listen to me?"

"Would you have listened to me if I asked you to stay?"

It was silent between them after he asked the question, as he looked at her seriously, patiently waiting for her answer. She wanted to tell him that of course she would have listened, but she couldn't bring herself to lie to his face that way.

"I don't know," she told him honestly, "I really don't know."

"I think I know," he lowered his voice a bit, "you would have left anyway...and I wouldn't have blamed you. It's your decision whether you stay or go, but what really gets me is that basically everyone can convince you to come back except for me."

Myka was beginning to grow frustrated with him just making up stories, as she pushed her hair over one shoulder in frustration.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked desperately.

"Like in the bookstore when I came and asked you for help and you were all, 'oh no, Pete, I just work at a bookstore now. I'm not an expert on artifacts anymore'," he saw her stretch her neck out to the side a bit when he raised the pitch of his voice to imitate her, her subconscious signal that she was annoyed with him, "and then Jinks just comes strolling in, and you decide you want to help. You'll help a complete stranger, but you won't even help me."

"That's because-"

"No. No excuses, Mykes. What happened, happened. There's no way you can go back now and try to say that it didn't."

"If you would let me finish, I was going to say-"

"And normally, it wouldn't even be a big deal...you know...if it was Claudia or something. Because I've always had this feeling you liked Claudia better than me anyway, so if it was like, me and Clauds looking for a book, and you ignored me but decided to help her, it would be a different story. But Jinks? You didn't even know he was a Warehouse agent until I told you, which should mean that-"

Pete wasn't sure if he was having an out-of-body experience, or if he had just suddenly died and gone to heaven, but one minute he was speaking, and the next minute, he was kissing Myka Bering. Being with Myka, gorgeous, smart Myka, was nothing new for him, but _kissing_ her, feeling her lips on his, was definitely new. And it was the good kind of new. He could only hope that she was thinking it was 'the good kind of new' as well.

When their lips broke contact, he found himself wanting more. He realized that he wouldn't have minded kissing Myka until oxygen became an absolute must-have. But, apparently, his partner had different plans.

"I...uh..." Pete was finding it hard to string a sentence together as he just stared at her with a baffled expression, unable to take his eyes off of her kiss swollen lips.

_Kiss swollen because of me, baby, _the egocentric part of his brain reminded him.

"Wow," he managed, clearing his throat after the small word, propping himself higher up on his elbow, "that was..." he paused, feeling a sense of relief when he saw she was as dazed as he was, "why?"

"It seemed like the best way to get you to shut up," she told him, the ever present sassy innocence still in her voice, "it worked."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "it worked."

Even though Myka had initiated the first kiss, neither were sure who initiated the next one. It was like almost everything else with them; they both put in an equal amount of effort, and they both got what they were searching for. Only, instead of an artifact, this time, it was the other's kiss.

When their kiss deepened a bit, Myka swept her hand over the bedspread, pushing his book off of the bed and only half listening as it clattered to the floor. As soon as the object was out of her way, she leaned forward a bit; not enough so that she was laying on her work partner, but enough so some of her weight was against him. He seemed to accept it, his hand moving to cup the side of her waist in order to keep her from toppling over onto him. The thought of that disaster caused her to laugh lightly against his mouth, and she could feel his lips turn up into a smile under hers, even though she was sure he had no idea what she was giggling about.

She had to admit, she liked kissing Pete, and she was mentally scolding herself for waiting years to try this, but even though the was enjoying their lip-lock, she knew that it had to end at some point before it got out of hand. When she pulled away that time, he wasn't as surprised. Instead, he was looking at her with a smile, as if he was thanking her and letting her know that she was awesome all at the same time.

"Wow," Myka was the one to say the word this time, as she moved her hand to brush her fingers through his hair, "Alice was right," a smile came to her face when she saw his amused expression at the mention of the 'Alice' incident, "you _are_ a good kisser."

"Tell me something I don't know," he joked with her, laughing when she rolled her eyes.

"I swear, Lattimer, sometimes I really wonder if you're a twelve-year-old trapped in a man's body," she laughed, sitting up and smoothing out her shirt, which had become a bit crinkled in places from where he ran his hands over her.

Pete was surprised when she stood up from his bed, going around to the other side to pick his book up and place it neatly back on the space next to him. He sat up straight as he watched her, having to wonder if he had just imagined that whole thing, since she was just about to casually leave before they even got to have a conversation about this.

"Myka?"

She turned around and looked at him from where she was now standing by the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To bed?" She answered, her eyebrow furrowing in confusion, "I was going to say goodnight before I left, if that's what you were worried about."

Pete was still just staring at her with a dumbfounded expression, wanting to say something, but unable to find the words at the moment.

"What?" She asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"We..." he paused, "we just kissed."

"I know."

"So we just kissed and now you're just going to stroll out?" He asked, "We were friends and colleagues. Obviously, friends don't kiss."

"Thank you, Pete," her voice was playfully sarcastic, "how would I have been able to figure that out without you?"

"Myka," his voice was serious, "what's going on? What are we?"

"_We_ are taking it slow," she told him simply, twisting the doorknob and opening the door to let herself out, looking over her shoulder before she left, "goodnight, Pete."

This woman really was something else. Pete was beginning to wonder if he would ever be able to understand the way she thought.

"Goodnight, Myka," was all he could manage to say in response, as she smiled at him over her shoulder before closing the door, leaving him alone with just his own thoughts.


End file.
